Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 182

Erin's POV

The tension in the room was palpable after Mya's outburst. Everyone had frozen, waiting for someone to break the uncomfortable silence.

I watched Mya's eyes dart from Alexander to me, a mixture of fear and defiance evident in her posture. She stood with her shoulders pulled back, but her hands trembled slightly at her sides.

"She's only an Omega," Mya said, her voice trembling slightly as she addressed her brother. "She doesn't deserve you."

Alexander fixed Mya with a cold, calculating stare. His eyes had hardened to the consistency of frozen earth. He didn't speak, but his expression conveyed volumes—a silent warning that made my skin prickle with unease.

Mrs. Windsor grabbed her daughter's arm with surprising force, her knuckles whitening against the fabric of Mya's dress. "What are you doing?" she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper but audible in the silent room. "Have you completely lost your mind? Why are you provoking Alpha Alexander?"

Across the table, Judy shook her head at Mya, her expression a silent but urgent plea for the younger woman to stop talking.

I felt the sting of Mya's words about my Omega status—a reminder of my position at the bottom of the werewolf hierarchy. The familiar shame and anger bubbled up inside me, heating my cheeks and making my heart pound harder against my ribs. But this time, rather than shrinking away as I might have once done, I straightened my spine. I was done being the submissive Omega they all expected.

"Unlike me," I said, infusing my voice with honeyed sweetness that barely masked my contempt, "you're very deserving of Alpha Derek." I paused, letting my gaze drift between Mya and Derek before continuing. "But I'm curious—why does your marriage require half of the Silverpine Pack's territory as exchange?"

Mya's eyes widened before narrowing into an angry glare directed at me. The barb had hit its mark, exposing the transactional nature of the arranged mating that everyone pretended was based on mutual respect and alliance.

Alexander turned to look at me with newfound appreciation, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Erin," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "no one blesses our union, but we'll still be together."

I nodded in agreement, returning Mya's glare with equal intensity. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Derek and his executives remained silent throughout the exchange. Their plan—whatever it had been—seemed to have failed, and Alexander appeared to realize this as well.

---

The silence stretched uncomfortably, broken only by the soft ticking of an antique clock and the distant sounds of staff preparing dinner in another wing of the estate. Alexander turned to me, his expression softening slightly. "I think we should leave now," he said, his hand lightly touching my elbow, the warmth of his fingers seeping through the fabric of my dress.

Before we could move, Derek rose from his seat, the motion fluid yet commanding. Everyone's attention immediately shifted to him, a testament to his Alpha status.

"Where are you two going?" Derek asked, his voice deceptively casual, though I detected the steel beneath. "I invited you for dinner, which hasn't even started yet."

Alexander's smile was sardonic as he challenged, "Did you really invite us for dinner? I thought your purpose was achieved after I signed."

Derek's face remained impassive, but I detected a slight tightening around his eyes. The artificial lighting caught the gold flecks in his irises, making them seem to glow momentarily. "Since I invited you to my estate," he said evenly, "I won't let you leave hungry."

The words were polite, but the underlying message was clear: this was his territory, and we would leave when he permitted it. I felt a familiar mixture of frustration and unwilling admiration for his ability to maintain control of every situation.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the tension crackling between the two Alphas, I tugged lightly at Alexander's sleeve. "I'm not hungry," I whispered urgently, my stomach actually knotted too tightly to consider food. "Let's go."

Alexander's decision came swiftly and with finality. "Since Alpha Derek has graciously invited us," he announced, his tone making a mockery of the word 'gracious,' "let's stay for dinner."

Irritation bubbled inside me. I didn't appreciate Alexander making decisions for me, his dominance reminding me too much of Derek's controlling nature. But given the current situation—outnumbered in Derek's territory—I reluctantly followed his lead. My inner wolf, too, seemed to favor caution, shrinking back from the idea of challenging either Alpha directly.

We moved through the estate's corridor to the formal dining room, our footsteps muffled by plush carpeting. The hallway was lined with portraits of previous pack leaders, stern-faced men whose eyes seemed to follow our progress. I had always found this part of the estate unsettling, as if the past Alphas were judging my worthiness.

The dining room itself was impressive, with a long mahogany table polished to a mirror shine and chairs upholstered in deep burgundy leather. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the manicured grounds, though now they reflected only darkness and the room's occupants. Alexander pulled out a chair for me with the practiced ease of someone accustomed to social niceties. We sat next to each other, with Derek taking his place at the head of the table.

I surveyed the room, noting the strategic seating arrangements. The food was abundant and beautifully presented—roasted meats glistening with savory juices, colorful vegetables arranged artistically, artisanal breads still steaming from the oven—but the atmosphere was so tense that it seemed to sap any appetite. The scents that would normally make my mouth water instead made my stomach clench tighter.

Mya sat beside Derek, her eyes fixed on me with undisguised hostility. In the bright lighting of the dining room, I could see the slight tremor in her hand as she reached for her water glass. Whatever confidence she had shown earlier seemed to be fading under her brother's continued cold regard.

As the uncomfortable silence stretched, broken only by the clink of silverware against fine china and the soft footfalls of servants moving discreetly around the periphery of the room, Mya suddenly spoke, her voice cutting through the tension. "The last time I saw you at this company," she said directly to me, "you were calling Derek 'big brother-in-law.'"